


Human Customs

by Thursday_Next



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-23
Updated: 2011-09-23
Packaged: 2017-11-04 05:10:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/390116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thursday_Next/pseuds/Thursday_Next
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Madame Vastra stumbles across a human custom she thinks she and Jenny should try.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Human Customs

**Author's Note:**

> Silly ficlet written for the 'Let's Get Gay Married' comment fest on livejournal.

"There's shrieking," Vastra announces, "Stop the cab." She raps imperiously on the screen between the back of the hansom and the driver with her cane. The cab stops with jolt and a neigh from the horses. "Jenny, the door." 

"Are you sure ma'am?" Jenny looks troubled. "It's not dark yet."

They don't go out in the daylight if they can help it. Green scales in place of skin are easy enough to keep concealed in the darkness of London's back alleys at night, a sword can be hidden beneath a cloak or concealed as a walking cane, but in the harsh light of day it's another matter. Harder to keep to the shadows, harder to pass off any sightings as the ramblings of a drunkard or an opium addict. Here in the country, especially, they're liable to be faced with pitchforks or blazing torches. Nobody notices in London if you prefer to keep your head down and your hood up – and Jenny's been to the future and that's something that doesn't change. Here, though... 

"Jenny!"

She has no choice, she reckons, but to do her mistress's bidding. She's usually right, for one thing, and it's not like she can't take care of herself. Jenny shouldn't worry but she can't help it. She scrambles down and opens the door, hurrying along after Vastra as she heads off to investigate the shrieks she claims to have heard. Surprisingly good, lizard hearing.

They wouldn't be here at all, but they're heading back from a trip to Scotland. Vastra had intended to kill the beast in the Loch that the locals claimed was terrorising them, but in the end they had come to some sort of amicable arrangement. Jenny had mostly spent the time cleaning their room at the inn and not worrying. Definitely not worrying. 

They stop around the corner from a church, Jenny can hear the shrieking now, and the pealing of bells. 

"Warning bells," Vastra decides, and takes a purposeful step towards the church when Jenny lays a hand on her arm.

"No miss, it's not, no-one's in trouble. It's a wedding."

"A what?" Vastra cocks her head on one side as she tends to do sometimes, when faced with human customs she does not understand, as if it helps her to assimilate information quickly.

"It's a human custom, ma'am. When two people care for one another, they go to a church and have a ceremony to join themselves to each other til death do them part."

"They become stuck together?"

"No, no, not physically, it's more... spiritually. They have a priest say words and bless them. They promise to share their lives together."

"I see." Vastra contemplates for a minute. "They share their lives?"

"Yes miss."

"What else?"

"They... live together, and rely on each other and they're... well, intimate with each other."

Then, her stance changes. "Come on, Jenny."

"But miss, where are we going?"

"To find this priest. I wish for us to share our lives."

"Madame Vastra!" Jenny squeaks, her face flushing. "We can't!"

"Why not? We already share a dwelling. I know I can rely on you, and I find myself accustomed to your company."

"The priest won't, you can't... You'd have to uncover your face, for one thing, and he mightn't take too kindly to that."

"I suppose not. We'll continue to London, find somewhere darker."

"I'm not sure that... also, we're both ladies, miss."

"Females cannot marry females?"

"Not now, miss, no." Jenny thinks of a stray news item she saw that time they visited the future. Maybe.

"But females may partner one another sexually, may they not?"

"Well, not really, no," Jenny looks down, flustered. "There's no actual laws against two women... you know, but it's not proper."

"You didn't seem to mind in Scotland," Vastra observes. "In fact, I think you said you really enjoyed it when I used my tongue to..."

"Yes miss!" Jenny interrupts, face aflame by now. They're in public, and oh god, that's a church, they can't be having this conversation.

"How very limiting these customs of yours are."

"It might not always be this way," Jenny says.

"Of course. Come on, Jenny, I need to make a telephone call."

"To who, miss?"

"To whom, Jenny. And I think it's high time the Doctor repaid that favour he owes me. You can tell me more about these human customs while we travel..."


End file.
